Water-wheel bucket



A. PFAU.

WATER WHEEL BUCKET.

APPLICATION man MAYH. 1918.

1,309,810. 7 Patented July 15, 1919.

THE COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co., WA SHNG TON, D. c.

' U ran s'rnrns PATENT onruon.

ARNOLD PFAU, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO ALLIS-CHALMERS MANUFACTURING COMPANY,OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

WATER- EEL BUCKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 15-, 1919.

Application filed May 11, 1918. Serial No. 234,352.

of the United States, residing at Milwaukee,

in the county of Milwaukee and State of WVisconsin, have invented acertain new and useful Improvement in lVater-WVheel Buckets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates generally to improvements in the construction and operation of hydraulic turbines and specifically to an improved construction of double pocket buckets for impulse water wheels of the jet impelled type.

An object'of the invention is to provide a water wheel bucket whichis simple in construction and efiicient in operation. Another object of the invention is to provide an efficient bucket for water wheels of the type in which it is desirable to deliver unequal quantities of water from the opposite sides of the wheel. to provide means for producing lateral or side thrust upon a turbine rotor of the impulse type. A further object is to provide an efficient bucket especially applicable to water wheels of the vertical shaft impulse either desirable to discharge different quantities of working fluid from opposite sides of the rotor, or in which it is desired to produce an end thrust upon the rotor by the pressure of the working fluid.

As applied to vertical shaft impulse water wheels the specific objects of the in vention are, first to provide a bucket which will produce a turbine of high efficiency by reducing to a minimum the quantity of water dropping upon and against ineffective portions of the rotor after leaving the buckets, and second to provide a bucket which will produce an upward thrust on the wheel tending to counterbalance the weight of the rotor and of the associated parts in order to relieve the thrust bearing pressures. These objects are accomplished by forming the upper pockets of the horizontal annular series of buckets, smaller and shallower than the lower pockets and dividing each bucket Still another object is into pockets by means of a ridge or jet splitter. One or more jets are directed against the buckets with their axes below the plane of the dividing ridges, thereby causing more of the water of each jet to impinge within the larger pockets than impinges within the smaller pockets. In this manner the quantity of water delivered upwardly from buckets may be made considerably less than that which is downwardly discharged, without undesirably unbalancing the end thrust and sacrificing efliciency, such as would be the case if the entire discharge were in one direction only. By causing the major portion of the jet to impinge against one side surface of the dividing ridge, sufficient end thrust is produced in an upward direction, to counterbalance the weight of the rotating parts and to relieve the thrust bearing pressures.

A clear conception of an embodiment of the invention may be had by referring to the drawing accompanyingand forming a part of-this specification in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts in the various Views.

Figure 1 is a fragmentary central vertical. section through an impulse turbine installation of the vertical shaft type embodying buckets constructed in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is an; enlarged plan view of one of the buckets, showing the relative position of the jet when impinging thereagainst at the most efiicient portion.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse through one. of the buckets showing the relative position of the jet when impinging fully thereagainst, the section being taken along the line IIIIII of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

The installation disclosed in Fig. 1 comprises generally a power house structure 6 providedwith a pit of usual form within which is located the water wheel rotor 2. The rotor 52 is'secured to the lower extremity of the'vertical main shaft 3, to the upper extremity of which an energy absorbing devise of any suitable type not shown, may be connected. An annular series of buckets 8 are spaced around and secured to the periphery of therotor 2, each of these buckets comprising a pair of pockets 9, 10 and ears 11 by means of which the buckets are fassection tened to the rotor. Adjustable, nozzles 7 which may be one or more in number, are arranged tangentially of the rotor 2 and are adapted to deliver horizontal jets 15 of water against the buckets '8. The vertical- ,main shaft 3 is supported against lateral.

shown or adjacent to the. upper or lowerends,

thereof. v i.

The upper pockets i9- ofthe buckets ,8 are made smaller andlshallower -than the lowerpockets 10 thereof, as shown in Figs. .2. and 3. The pockets 9,.10 of eachbucket are.

'separatedby a splitter ordividingridge.12,

the ridges 12.0f the successive. buc ketsS ly ing in substantially the same, horizontal plane. The front p.0rti0ns13, 1d of the buckets extend beyondthe .front end oipthe ridge 12 so that" tliebuckets willmore efficiently enter the jets 15, Theaxes l6.,of the jets 15 are below the plane oithe (livid-r ing ridges 12 as shown in Fig, .3,.-so.that.the major portion ofthejetvlo impinges within the lower larger. pockets. 10,.

Duringv normal operation of. the: turbine the nozzles 7 are adapted to deliver jets15 of water moving. at high. velocity,.tangen tially toward the runner 2, As thesejets 1.5 strike the advancing buckets 8, they are d vided into twoiportions bythe. ridges- 12, one portion sweepingupwardlythrough the pockets 9 and the otherdownwardly. hroughthe. pockets 1.0. Due. tothe, formationxof the pockets. 9, smaller and v shallowerithan the pockets 10, and thelocationaofthe jet axis 16 within the regionor pathlottravel of the larger pockets 10., considerably-- smaller quantity of, water, will pass; througih the buckets 9. than passes through the hue ets 10. The water. delivered, tromthe pock-v ets 9 drops back towardlthe Wheel, some of the falling water being. unavoidably deliveredtagainst. the rotor; 2.. The water deliveredfrom the lower pockets. 10 isv delivered by gravity to thetail race.. I

' B forming; the uppen pockets smaller, the quantity of waterrwhich is upwardly delivered. and which falls back againstithe wheel, is considerably less than with the 01d type of bucket wherein the pockets. wereofj equal size arid the jet. was delivered with. its axis in the plane of thedividing splitter: By. locating the jetv axis 16 as shown, the pressureofithe jet15 againstv the lower, SUI faces of the ridges; 12 produces an upward thrust. against the water, Wheel i rotor, 2,\thisthrust approximately balancingthe weight of the rotating parts'and thereby. relieving the pressures upon the thrust bearing 17 The location of the jet 15 should, however,

be--such that. w-iththe nozzles 7 adjusted to produce a jet of minimum effective size, some water will still be delivered into the smaller pockets 9; With such disposition of the jet maximum efiiciency results as the maximum available Working-area of the buckets is thereby utilized at all times.

It should be understood that it is not desired to be limited to the exact details of constructionshownand described as obvious modifications will occur to a person skilled in the art.

.It is claimediand desired to secureby Letters- Batent '1. A water wheel-bucket having at least twopockets. located sideby side in a directionllongitudinally. of the wheel axis, one of saidpockets-being larger. than another.

2; A. waters wheel bucket having at. least two pockets; locatedside by side in a direction longitudinally of the-wheel axis, one of said; pockets being. deeper than another.-

3. ,AtWa-ter wheel bucket having at least two ovoid pockets separated by a: dividing ridgel ving in a: plane perpendicular to the wheel axis, oneof said .pocketsbeing larger than anothe I i 4. A, water: Wheel bucket having at. least two ovoid-poekets-iseparated by a dividing ridge lyingina plane, perpendicular to the wheel axis, one of said i pockets being deeper than anothen ,5. A: water; Wheel; bucket. having at. least o. QY'Oidi pockets separated 1 by a: dividing edgm he front pertionsof the, bucket being extended beyond 5 the front end of said, edge as viewedi-in.thedirection of the entering.

jet, andone of said pockets being larger thalhtfllfitllflfi. y

A. water. W'hQBl bucket having 3 at: least W0..ovoid pockets separated by a; dividing edge, theefmnt portions. of the bucket being extended beyondthe front end. of said edge as:v viewedin:thedirection of the entering jet, and one; of said pockets. being deeper thanianother;

.7, .In combination, a; Water wheel having buckets each provided: with alpair of pockets of difi'erentsiZes,and-means for deliverin-gsarjet of water: inunequal proportions to said pockets,

8; In X combination, a water" wheel having buckets-reachprovidedwith a pair of pockets of "(liflferent'-;depths-, and means for deliveringasjet of" water in unequal proportions toysaid pockets;

,9 In combination, awater wheel having buckets providedi With; substantially alined .div-idingredges-andmeans for delivering a jet of; waterragainst said-, buokets, the centerr'line of-saidjet being at one side of the plane -ofsaid edges.

1 0. In combination, awater wheel having bueketsreach providedwith pockets of different. sizes, .the. larger pockets of said buck-v 13o ets being in circumferential alinement, and means for delivering a jet of water against said buckets so that the major portion of said jet impinges Within said larger pockets.

11. In combination, a water wheel having buckets each provided with pockets of different sizes, the smaller pockets of said buckets being in circumferential alinement, and means for delivering a jet of water against said buckets so that the minor portion of said jet impinges within said smaller pockets.

12. In combination, a water wheel rotatable about a vertical axis and having buckets provided with alined dividing edges, and means for delivering a jet of Water against said buckets, the axis of said jet at the point of impingement being below the plane of said edges.

13. In combination, a water wheel having buckets provided with dividing edges all of which lie in a horizontal plane, and means for delivering a jet of Water against said buckets, the axis of said jet at the point of impingement being below said plane.

' 14. In combination, a water wheel having buckets each provided with pockets of different sizes, and means for delivering quantities of water to said pockets proportionate to their sizes.

In testimony whereof, the signature of the inventor is aflixed hereto.

ARNOLD PFAU.

I Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

